1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of racks for trucks, and particularly to a rack that is both easy to assemble and disassemble, requires no tools and that collapses into the internal periphery of the truck in a way that leaves the bed substantially empty for the placement therein of items to be transported.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Racks for trucks have long been known. They are used to provide the ability to transport more than just what will fit into the bed of the truck, particularly items that are larger than the bed as well as extra storage when the bed is filled with other items. Frequently, the racks also extend over the cab of the truck.
One major drawback to most truck racks is that they are bulky and cumbersome. Typical racks maintain their shape whether in use or not and must be bolted down the truck at various points on the truck when in use and unbolted when there is no need for the rack on the truck. When the rack is not needed, if left on the truck, there is a noticeable and significant increase in drag on the truck and a corresponding reduction in gas mileage.
Removal of the rack will remove the unwanted drag, but typically it is very inconvenient to remove the rack. Firstly, the rack needs to be unbolted. Secondly, the rack needs to be stored in a large area because the profile of the rack is so large. One way to overcome the storage issue is to provide a rack that is collapsible into the body of the truck.
By being collapsible, storage of the rack is less of an issue and the rack can be stored in the bed of the truck. Prior art in the field of collapsible truck racks include U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,131 to Flournoy, Jr. This invention provides for a rack that can be broken down into small parts. This rack does not reach over the cab of the truck. Furthermore, this rack requires a great deal of assembly and disassembly that can be quite time-consuming. When not in use, the rack of the Flournoy, Jr. invention is stored atop the periphery of the truck bed and behind the cab. While this provides storage capacity in the truck bed, the wear due to the heightened profile of the vehicle is not maximally improved and therefore the improved gas mileage due to less drag is not optimized.
Another invention is U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,380 to Aguilar. Portions of this rack are removable, but the entire device does not collapse into an easily-transportable unit. When not in use, the front and rear supports of this rack may be removed and placed in the pickup bed or pivoted downward into the pickup bed. The shape and profile of the supports is such that much of the bed is consumed during storage, thereby minimizing the ability to utilize the bed for the transportation of other items when the rack is not in use.
The rack of U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,731 to Burger is another removable rack. This rack does not extend above the cab and is quite complex in its assembly.
Therefore, a need exists for a collapsible truck rack that when collapsed does not increase drag on the vehicle. Furthermore, the rack when collapsed and stored in the vehicle should not significantly consume any of the storage space in the bed.
It is the object of the instant invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.
It is the primary object of the instant invention to provide a collapsible truck rack that does not require the use of tools to assemble and disassemble and that does not consume an appreciable amount of storage space in the truck bed when collapsed into the storage position.